Welcome to DBSTalk

Welcome to DBSTalk. Our community covers all aspects of video delivery solutions including: Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), Cable Television, and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). We also have forums to discuss popular television programs, home theater equipment, and internet streaming service providers. Members of our community include experts who can help you solve technical problems, industry professionals, company representatives, and novices who are here to learn.

Like most online communities you must register to view or post in our community. Sign-up is a free and simple process that requires minimal information. Be a part of our community by signing in or creating an account. The Digital Bit Stream starts here!

Anyone tried alternative to HD Locals

I currently subscribe to hd package but my locals aren't available in HD through directv. They broadcast in HD but directv doesn't. ANyway, I have an antenna that works ok. It's not the best but it gets by. I am wondering if any of you have called directv to see if they will let you have NBC, ABC, CBS from new york or somewhere since they are broadcast in HD. I would still watch my local affiliates for news and weather but it would be nice to watch those channels in HD during primetime. I thought about calling directv but wanted to see if anyone else has tried that yet.

I can speak from experience on this. I have had request(s) in for a iaiver now for over 6 months without any result yet. I did manage to get one so far on CBS.

-Mark- "There's no place like 127.0.0.1 or ::127.0.0.1 or 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1 or ::1!"Support the DBSTalk forum, become a member, Click Here!
For Networking Help, Click Here!
For my setup, Click Here!
3/98

Ok. I will call them this afternoon but I was hoping that I might be able to talk my way into getting the others like the free HR20!! I figured if you were paying for hd service they might be persuaded to allow you to have big city channels. I have to try and get all of this worked out before the college and pro football seasons begin.

Ok. I will call them this afternoon but I was hoping that I might be able to talk my way into getting the others like the free HR20!! I figured if you were paying for hd service they might be persuaded to allow you to have big city channels. I have to try and get all of this worked out before the college and pro football seasons begin.

The response I got in my area was that, as long as I could get the SD versions of the local stations via Satellite, they would not grant waivers. This is especially true if you can also get the local stations off the air, in SD, HD, or both, since you are considered to be in their local viewing area.

To answer the other question about why they will not grant waivers, consider that the license they have is like a local franchise outlet for the networks. The stations, in many cases, pay the network for the programming, and they, in turn, receive money from local advertisers. The rates they charge depend on the number of viewers they have for a given program, and this is determined by a Rating system.

If they grant you a waiver, and you watch a New York station instead of the local, they can not count you as a viewer, and their rating is diminished, causing a reduction in the advertising rates, and therefore their revenue.

D* carries HD locals for quite a few markets. It would seem to me, any place they don't is so small you should be close enough to the towers to get them OTA. I don't even know why they would waste bandwith on any more. Just supply antennas and hook the mup and set the HR20 to integrate them when they do installs in smaller markets. JMO

You can get HD DNS from either NY or LA if you receive no OTA and D* does not carry your locals in HD.

There is a qualification page on the D* website in which you enter your address to check eligibility. I have posted the web page address about ten times, but probably the OP can look it up as easily as I can.

In this part of KY, you can definitly get automatic waivers for HD DNS.

Equipment includes a buncha stuff that I no longer have interest in detailing

When setting up my -700, it asked me for my zip code and dish type. The installer had gone through the zip code and chose the wrong dish type.

When I called D*tv, she had me change both to the correct settings. Does this zip code entry affect the HD channels that I receive locally? In other words, If I put in Portland Maines zip code, could I get their channels??

When setting up my -700, it asked me for my zip code and dish type. The installer had gone through the zip code and chose the wrong dish type.

When I called D*tv, she had me change both to the correct settings. Does this zip code entry affect the HD channels that I receive locally? In other words, If I put in Portland Maines zip code, could I get their channels??

My guess is NO..

No you can not change the zip code to another city and receive their local channels.

D* carries HD locals for quite a few markets. It would seem to me, any place they don't is so small you should be close enough to the towers to get them OTA. I don't even know why they would waste bandwith on any more. Just supply antennas and hook the mup and set the HR20 to integrate them when they do installs in smaller markets. JMO

We can get them OTA here if we run 1500 feet of feedline to a hilltop, like we did when I was a kid to get two, sometimes three channels. I am very attracted to the idea due to getting all the subchannels, but it is a lot of work and expense. My wife enjoys the NY HD channels, although I seldom watch network TV.

The statement "any place they don't is so small you should be close enough...to get them OTA " really doesn't make sense. What does the size of a town have to do with how close you are to the TV stations?

Equipment includes a buncha stuff that I no longer have interest in detailing

Like I said, I have an antenna mounted to the roof. It picks up a lot of stations and get a great picture and then about every 5 minutes the picture freezes and then starts back. It's always in a spot where you need to hear what is being said then you miss it. I can't seem to figure out why it does that. I paid about 80 for it from radio shack. Once you get used to watching these channels in HD it's hard to go back. My locals look terrible. I called yesterday and they are going to request a waiver but I doubt I will be granted any! I still don't understand the problem with them providing the locals and the others and letting the customer choose. I don't want to see new york weather or news but HD primetime would be sweet. Also, I wouldn't be forced to watch the crappy bungals play every Sunday. Maybe I could see the giants or Jets or some different teams. I know you guys are going to say to get the nfl ticket but I don't think it's in HD either. Plus, I can't afford it right now. But one day!!

Like I said, I have an antenna mounted to the roof. It picks up a lot of stations and get a great picture and then about every 5 minutes the picture freezes and then starts back. It's always in a spot where you need to hear what is being said then you miss it. I can't seem to figure out why it does that. I paid about 80 for it from radio shack. Once you get used to watching these channels in HD it's hard to go back. My locals look terrible. I called yesterday and they are going to request a waiver but I doubt I will be granted any! I still don't understand the problem with them providing the locals and the others and letting the customer choose. I don't want to see new york weather or news but HD primetime would be sweet. Also, I wouldn't be forced to watch the crappy bungals play every Sunday. Maybe I could see the giants or Jets or some different teams. I know you guys are going to say to get the nfl ticket but I don't think it's in HD either. Plus, I can't afford it right now. But one day!!

OMJ,Sorry, I missed the part where you said you get OTA. Yeah, you probably won't get the waivers.

The networks want you to watch your local stations because the locals support the network. No local stations = no networks, at least under the current business model.

Sunday Ticket does include all the HD and it is great. I hope you can swing it soon!

Equipment includes a buncha stuff that I no longer have interest in detailing

I still don't understand the problem with them providing the locals and the others and letting the customer choose. I don't want to see new york weather or news but HD primetime would be sweet. Also, I wouldn't be forced to watch the crappy bungals play every Sunday. Maybe I could see the giants or Jets or some different teams.

The "problem" is money. If you were to pay McDonalds $500K for an exclusive franchise to sell their products in a given area, you would not want them to franchise another restaurant in that same area. Why is is so difficult to understand?